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H. PREFONTAINE. Torch. No. 228,476. Patented June 8,1880.

NJ'ETERs. EHOIO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASMNGYON. D. O.

UNrrnn STATES 'ArnNr @rricn.

HERMENEGILDE PREFONTAINE, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

TORCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,476, dated June 8, 1880.

Application filed April 21, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMENEGILDE PRE- FONTAINE, a resident of the city of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torches,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in torches in which the lamp is secured at diametricallyopposite points above its center of gravity to the end parts of the two arms of a frame, which has in its middle a socket, through which a pin pivots and secures the frame to the handle; and the principal objects of my improvements are to render the lamp and the bifurcate frame more surely self-righting by their gravity in whatever direction the handle of the torch shall be held or moved, and to cheaply produce a bifurcate frame from two perforated pieces or strips of wrought or sheet metal.

I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1. and 2 are elevations of one, and Figs. 3 and etare like views of another, of my improved torches, the handles being broken and shown in section in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation, mostly in longitudinal section and on an enlarged scale, of the frame of the torch shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. (Sis a central transverse section and elevation of the same frame. Figs. 7 and S are plans of the two pieces which when fastened together constitute the frame represented in Fig. 5, the piece shown in Fig. 7 being partly in section. Fig. 9 is an elevation, partly in section and on a larger scale, of the frame of the torch illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of the same frame. Figs. 11 and 12 are plans of the two pieces which when fastened together compose the frame represented in Figs. 9 and 10, the piece shown in Fig. 11 being partly in section. Fig. 13 is a section of the piece shown in Fig. 12, and Fig. 14. is a like section of a similar piece of modified form. Fig. 15 is a side elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 1.6 a central sectional elevation, of a torch-frame which em bodies a part of my invention.

Like letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

(No model.)

A is a lamp or liquid holder and burner, which is pivoted at diametrically -opp0site points above its center of gravity to the end parts of the two opposite arms I) I) of the bifurcate frame 0, which has in its middle a socket, (I 6, through which a headed pin', F, extends loosely and fits tightly into the handle G, and thereby pivots and secures the frame to the handle, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

In order to insure the self-righting of the lamp A of the torch in whatever direction the handle G shall be held or moved, I make the arms b I) 'of the frame G bent or inclined laterally to the socket d e, and with the line of the pins h h, by which the lamp is pivoted to the frame, far to one side of the line i i of the axis of the socket d 0, through which the pin F extends loosely and pivots and secures the frame to the handle.

To manufacture and sell my improved torches at the cheapest rates throughout great extents of territory it is necessary or generally desirable to manufacture the frames G in great numbers in one factory or locality or in a few factories or localities, and to thence transport the frames to and complete the torches at other and many different and-distant localities at or near the places of final use. To meet that requirement I make my improved bifurcate torch-frame C as a separate salable article, having the middle pivot-socket, d 0, through which, by a headed pin, F, the frame can be secured and pivoted to a handle, G, and also having the arms I) b bent or inclined laterally to the socket (Z c, and in their end parts the perforations jj, in a line far to one side of the line of the axis of the said middle socket, d c, substantially as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, 9 and 10, or 15 and 16, and to which arms the lamp or vessel A can be secured and pivoted by pins h h. inserted loosely through the perforations j j and fastened firmly to the lamp or vessel.

This improved torchframe, having the mid dle socket, (Z c, and end perforations, jj, can be all cast in one and the same piece, of malleable cast-iron or other suitable metal, as indicated by Figs. 15 and 16; but to produce the torch-frame of malleable cast-iron requires several days in time. To avoid that delay and to'cheaply produce a superior bifurcate torchframe with middle and end pivot-perforations therein, I construct the same of two strips or pieces, K L, of thin or sheet iron or other suitable wrought metal, and make in the piece K the middle perforation, (Z, and end perforations,jj, and bend that piece into U shape, with or without forming a longitudinal bead, m, therein, substantially as indicated in Fig. 7 or 11, and firmly secure to the middle or lower portion of the part K, by rivets n or other suit able known means, the other piece, L, bent and extended downward, and having in its lower part the perforation c, in line with the perforation (I, and constituting a stitfening-snpport to the U-shaped piece K, all substantially as shown by Figs. 5, 6, 7, and S, or by Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12., and 13 or 14. I thus produce a torch-frame from the two pieces K L, whether the arms I) b are or are not bent or inclined laterally to the line i ii of the axis of the socketperforations d e, and whether the line of the end perforations, jj, is oris not at one side of the line of the axis of said socket-perforations.

Prior to my invention a torch has had a bifurcate frame with pi otpins fast on the inner end parts of its arms, so that they could be sprung from and into eyes or sockets on the lamp-body, and has had at the junction of the arms, and in thesameplane therewith, asocket, through which, by a pin, the frame was pi"- oted and secured to the handle; but that torch did not have the arms of its frame bent or inclined laterally to the axis of the middle socket by which the framewas secured to the handle, and the line of the pivots by which the lampbody was secured to the end parts of the arms was not at one side of the line of the axis of said middle socket, and consequently such a torch did not have the superior self-righting feature possessed by my improved torch here inbefore described. Also, the frame of that prey'iously-made torch did not have through the end parts of its arms any pivot-perforations, such as are essential to my improved torch-frame, and the frame of that previouslymade torch was not composed of a U-shaped piece, K, with middle and end perforations, d ij, and a projeetin g perforated stiffening and supporting piece, L, fastened to the middle portion of the U-shaped piece, as hereinbefore described, and as is essential to the torchframe which is the subject of one part of my invention.

Before my invention a torch was made with a frame having arms pivoted at the their ends to the lamp-body, and at the junction of the arms, and rigidly secured to or formed in one piece with the arms, a shank bent laterally and extended loosely into so as to turn in a socket in the handle, as described in United States Patent No. 183,332, whereby the lamp and frame were rendered self-rightin g by their gravity.

What I claim as my invention isv 1. A torch composed of the handle G, bifurcate frame 0, having the middle socket, (I c, and the arms I) I), bent or inclined laterally to said socket, through which, by a pin, F, the frame is pivoted and secured to the handle, and the lamp A, secured to the ends of the frame by pivots in a line at one side of the line of the axis of said middle socket in the frame, substantially as shown and described.

2. A bifurcate torch-frame having the middle pivot-socket, (l e, and the arms I) b, bent or inclined laterally to said socket, and in the ends of the arms the perforationsj in a line at one side of the line of the axis of said middle pivot-socket in the frame, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a torch-frame, the combination, with the U-shaped piece K, having the middle perforation, d, and end perforations, jj, of the projecting piece L, secured to the middle portion of said U-shaped piece, and constituting a stifiening-support therefor, and having the perforation e, which, with the perforation (1, forms a pivot-socket through the middle of the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 17th day of April, 1880.

IIERMENEGILDIE rntrorrlunil.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES H. SLADE, JAMES T. GooDFELLow. 

